The Rumours Thread

[George Sancti]

Whilst I am hopeful of picking up TPJ, I would not like it to be at the expense of loosing Paul Vaughan. Paul Vaughan has been one of the best recruits that we have managed attract over the past decade. He has represented at the highest level and he consistently gives his best even when former coaching regimes required him to play as a battering ram.

 

[kit66]

Correct and wrong. You do get what you pay for.
But then its value for money balancing a cap and roster not 1, not 2 but 3-4 years looking forward. You cant be short sighted. That is what got us in the poo to begin with.
Lawrie is still young as a prop and is probably on low coin. Still worth an investment and has improved this year.
Not saying he is better or at Vaughans level. But Paul is on big money in his 30's.
Put yourself in the club shoes managing your cap and roster and you will see why Hook has started to tinker with it upsetting a few along the way as he promised it would be a bumpy ride
I acknowledge you need also a balance of experience, hard edge etc...but for the right money.
We have to right the knee jerk reactions and money offered via the BOD, Doust, Young Millward & McFlounder in the past 10 years.
Paul had a good year in his 1st, we rushed to extend him on big money.
We paid too much for Hunt, Merrin & Norman and maybe Graham in the end when desperate and signed many a dud that did not last a year in 1st grade.

My first post above was simply to refute a claim that Lawrie was in any way better than Vaughan. But you make a valid point about the cap.

Realistically, if I were Vaughan ( whose contract finishes this year with an option for 2022 ) I'd be asking my Manager to look for a 2-3 year deal somewhere to finish my career rather than take the option for one more year with the Dragons. If we got TPJ or similar I'd cop Vaughan leaving but otherwise I'd keep him for his experience, defence and hard work albeit at a reduced rate ( which he could take or leave ). Vaughan could play SOO tonight and not let anyone down whereas Lawrie would get smashed off the park.
On Lawrie, I believe he needs to change both his running and tackling techniques. His top heavy build is seeing oppositions just tip him over like a cow because he runs too upright and he's too often all arms in the tackle. I'd give him a bunch of Mark O'Meally ( or other similarly built props ) hi-lights and tell him to study up. He has the passion and determination but not the technique to be a real enforcer - or to be worth more money.

 

[redandwhite4evr]

Hypothetical scenario if this were fact:

Vaughan has taken up his 1yr player option, however, another club (say Broncos) are willing to give him a 2yr deal or more, but on slightly less coin. Vaughan will be 31 next year and 32 a short time into the 2023 season. Hard to source a deal at that age, especially if your form is declining.

Broncos are wanting to trade out Pangai, Lodge and I believe Isaako is on the outer along with the maligned Milford.

The Dogs have let go Meaney and DWZ, and missed out on Shaun Johnston. Dylan Napa was originally from Brisbane (didn't play for the Broncos though). Flanagan is out of favour there also and Lachlan Lewis isnt a regular in firsts. Both Napa and Lewis.are off-contract

So, my hypothetical is:
Pangai (Broncos) to Dragons
Vaughan (Dragons) to Broncos
Isaako, Lodge & Milford (Broncos) to Dogs
Napa & Flanagan or Lewis (Dogs) to Broncos.

Broncos get 2 experienced forwards and a half back
Dogs get a winger/fullback goal kicker, a forward in just about a like for like swap and a half back
Dragons get a forward.

Almost seems like a mid-season draft.

Anyway ALL hypothetical and absolutely none of this may happen.

As always, expertly nutted out DS- you must be a pretty good chess player (all the rage apparently with the Blues Origin squad)- Brent Read's quote re a "high profile (Dragons) player" didn't mention a forward in the first instance but he later clarified and said it was a forward- so we can forget about the Dufties and Normans- and they are not under contract anyway for 2022 which this potential exchange is all about- releasing obligated players at multiple clubs- with the Tigers reportedly cooling on TPJ in favour of Finucane.
An unsigned Dogs player I hope is also on our radar is Atoni(Toomaga)- in case this swapathon all comes to nought.

 

[dungay dragon]

My first post above was simply to refute a claim that Lawrie was in any way better than Vaughan. But you make a valid point about the cap.

Realistically, if I were Vaughan ( whose contract finishes this year with an option for 2022 ) I'd be asking my Manager to look for a 2-3 year deal somewhere to finish my career rather than take the option for one more year with the Dragons. If we got TPJ or similar I'd cop Vaughan leaving but otherwise I'd keep him for his experience, defence and hard work albeit at a reduced rate ( which he could take or leave ). Vaughan could play SOO tonight and not let anyone down whereas Lawrie would get smashed off the park.
On Lawrie, I believe he needs to change both his running and tackling techniques. His top heavy build is seeing oppositions just tip him over like a cow because he runs too upright and he's too often all arms in the tackle. I'd give him a bunch of Mark O'Meally ( or other similarly built props ) hi-lights and tell him to study up. He has the passion and determination but not the technique to be a real enforcer - or to be worth more money.

Vaughan is similar to Frizell,,,looks real good in a rep side where he doesnt have to do the spade n shovel work and or is expected to be the leader of the pack..
Stats may say other wise , but i havent seen vaughan with some of those MOM performances you would expect .He has been our most experienced forward for some time and is on good coin compared to Lawrie.. i guess we expect more ... Noticed Lawrie in a number of ganes where he took it upon himself to be the leader and take on the opposition head on ..Hes still relatively young and still learning..Putting those good performances week in week out is something to work on , and quicker release of the tackled player giving away too many set restarts . Overall and what hes being paid , feel hes a keeper and going better than Vaughan , but still think PV will find it easier going with Molo ,Tevita and a fully fit JDB next season....if here....

 

[boardlumps62]

I thought props matured in their 30's. Oh it's a new game new rules I forgot.

 

[RedV11]

BRONCOS BACKFLIP- Lodge and Pangai now going nowhere. They will see out the season with Brisbane. Kev wants stability. The speculation clearly impacting the team.

 

[Mr Angry]

Lol put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

 

[BLM01]

BRONCOS BACKFLIP- Lodge and Pangai now going nowhere. They will see out the season with Brisbane. Kev wants stability. The speculation clearly impacting the team.

Stability in a side coming last that won’t make the eight and has even been said by the coach gonna be a big clean out
Even the coaches job is now under review and question again
How more unstable do you want it
Bit late now to try to get stability back

 

[Blood&Bandage]

Don’t believe everything you hear from a reporter. It’s guess work and who told him.
He might of heard high profile forward and guessed Vaughan.
High profile in media land could be Alvaro or even Kerr
Is not Kerr on the cusp of origin.. so they say

Take Kerr.

 

[Gareth67]

Oh my , don’t say anything about this to the shark fans .

Note ! Unable to supply a link from iPad .

 

[jak]

View attachment 50000
Oh my , don’t say anything about this to the shark fans .

Note ! Unable to supply a link from iPad .

as if any of us would do that

 

[Puff]

Dolphins - Sharks. No diff

 

[thebigredv]

Kent said he'd be just as happy to see St George moved to Brisbane given St George is not even a suburb of Sydney.

Should think before he speaks because that logic is poor to say the least. No wonder there is no feel to the game anymore. This is what some in the media think.

 

[RedVee]

Most of the media are the biggest offenders in the ‘say any shit’ club.

Voss is about the only one that seems to have the traditions of the game and clubs at heart

 

[redandwhite4evr]

Kent said he'd be just as happy to see St George moved to Brisbane given St George is not even a suburb of Sydney.

Should think before he speaks because that logic is poor to say the least. No wonder there is no feel to the game anymore. This is what some in the media think.

Kent likes to depict himself as an elder statesman and deep thinker in his DT columns and NRL 360 appearances- his absurd and ignorant utterances firstly about Cronulla and then about the Dragons relocating to Brisbane reveal him for what he is- an aggressive bully with a second rate brain. I don't know how the eminently likeable Ben Ikin put up with the p***k for nine years.

 

[denis preston]

Kent likes to depict himself as an elder statesman and deep thinker in his DT columns and NRL 360 appearances- his absurd and ignorant utterances firstly about Cronulla and then about the Dragons relocating to Brisbane reveal him for what he is- an aggressive bully with a second rate brain. I don't know how the eminently likeable Ben Ikin put up with the p***k for nine years.

He did also say that Cronulla were surrounded by the Dragons on both ends of its borders and it would make sense to just let the area to the Dragons if the Sharks relocated. Rothfield is a paradox sometimes but he defended all Sydney clubs from relocation. One thing Kent has forgotten here is St George has already paid its dues with the Steelers JV and should be considered at least a 50% outside of Sydney side. In the fair dinkim stakes the two sides who should be in danger simply because of junior strength and where they are , should be the Rorters and the Bulldogs.

 

[since77]

Kent said he'd be just as happy to see St George moved to Brisbane given St George is not even a suburb of Sydney.

Should think before he speaks because that logic is poor to say the least. No wonder there is no feel to the game anymore. This is what some in the media think.

To be fair he wasn’t actually saying that should happen. He was presenting a hypothetical counter argument to Rothfield that the Dragons would survive a move better than the Sharks because of the strength of their brand. He wasn’t actually saying “Dragons should be moved to Brisbane”. His first words were it made no sense that the Sharks are right in the middle of territory covered by St George Illawarra. He never once said let’s move the Dragons. Some people on this forum lack basic comprehension skills when watching things.

 

[redandwhite4evr]

He did also say that Cronulla were surrounded by the Dragons on both ends of its borders and it would make sense to just let the area to the Dragons if the Sharks relocated. Rothfield is a paradox sometimes but he defended all Sydney clubs from relocation. One thing Kent has forgotten here is St George has already paid its dues with the Steelers JV and should be considered at least a 50% outside of Sydney side. In the fair dinkim stakes the two sides who should be in danger simply because of junior strength and where they are , should be the Rorters and the Bulldogs.

The ignorance I referred to was his reference to firstly Cronulla as a suburb- its the Cronulla SUTHERLAND Sharks- Sutherland being both a suburb and a LGA. He then referred to the Sharks taking over the Dragons territory overlooking that we in a joint venture with Illawarra.

 

[Willow]

Lol put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

It can be done. But you never seem to get rid of all those cracks.

 

[George Dragon]

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